There are, of course, vast differences between the real-life Lavrenti Beria, who failed in his bid to succeed Stalin, and Vladi­mir Putin. Putin won’t like the way “The Death of Stalin” shows the coercive instruments of the state at war with each other. As for the police, there is no part of the Russian state more unpopular, more corrupt or more predatory. There is a final brooding presence in “The Death of Stalin” that should worry even a Russian president who’s just been handily reelected — the people. Once he notches a resounding electoral victory Sunday (maybe his last), Putin will have to reckon with the symptoms of aging-dictator syndrome.

Source: Washington Post March 17, 2018 19:18 UTC